Stabilizer for aeroplanes.



H. G. FISK. STABILIZEB r01: AEROPLANES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 2, 1913.

1,082,688. Patented Demo, 1913.

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HENRY c. FISK, or STAFFORD, CONNECTICUT.

STABILIZER FOR AEROPLANES.

Specification of- Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

Application filed April 2, 1913. Serial No; 758,408.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. FISK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Stafford, in the county of Tolland and State of Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stabilizers forAeroplanes, of which the following o is a specification.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements instabilizers for aeroplanes, and the object of my invention is to providea device of this character which is adapted to be attached to anaeroplane of any type which may be found desirable, whether the same isa monoplane, a biplane, or of other construction, and which attachmentwill operate to keep the machine to which it is attached in its properupright position and prevent overturning.

A further object of my invention is to improve the construction shown inmy application Serial Number 745,984, filed February 3, 1913, byproviding means whereby the stabilizer shown in said application may beadjusted for various atmospheric conditions. 4

With the foregoing and other objects in view my invention comprisesbroadly the placing of a plane, preferably of circular, or similaroutline, above the supporting plane or planes of the machine, and inproviding means whereby the edge portion of said plane can be adjustedat various angles to the body portion thereof.

My invention further consists in certain constructions, combinations andarrangements of parts, the preferred form of which will be firstdescribed in connection with the accompanying drawing and then theinvention particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

' Referring to the drawings wherein the same part is designated by thesame reference numeral wherever it occurs, Figure 1 is a front elevationof an outline of a biplane with my invention attached thereto, the samebeing shown partly in section. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of theconstruction shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view ofan adjusting means for the stabilizing plane.

5 designates an aeroplane shown as being of biplane type. It is to beunderstood however that the particular type of aeroplane forms no partof my invention.

Extending upwardly from the top of the supporting plane of the biplaneare uprights G of any suitable height, and 7 are the guys by means ofwhich the uprights 6 are rigidly held against the strains to which theymaybe subjected. Secured to the upper ends of the uprights 6 is myimproved stabilizing plane 8. This plane can be constructed out of anysuitable materials and in any suitable way, provided however that it isso constructed that its edge portion may be flexed with relation to themain portion thereof. It is also entirely immaterial to my inventionwhat particular means are employed to support the plane. As illustratingone means by which the edges of this stabilizing plane may be flexed Ihave shown a central hollow post 9 extending from the upper supportingplane of the biplane, through the center of the stabilizing plane 8 andwires 10 connected at one end to the periphery of the stabilizing planeand passing over the outwardly curved portion 11 formed at the upper endof the hollow post 9, and then down through the post to a shaft 12,mounted on a cross brace 13 on the main frame of the aeroplane, saidshaft 12 being provided with a hand wheel 18 whereby the same may berotated. I have shown the wires 9 as being connected to a single wire 14wound upon the shaft 12 to avoid a multiplicity of wires being twistedaround the shaft 12.

15 designates a series of wires connected at one end to the periphery ofthe stabilizing plane 8, and at the other end connected to a secondshaft 16, through a single wire.

hand wheel 18. It is to be understood how ever that any other form ofmechanism desired may be employed to flex the edge of my stabilizingplane without departing from my invention, and also that the size of theflexible portion can be varied as desired.

I have illustrated my stabilizing plane as being composed of twooverlapping parts, each part having a semi-circular rod 19 in itsperiphery, these rods at their ends overlapping and passing through eyes20. From this construction it will be seen that by turning the handwheels 13 and 18 in the proper directions the curvature of the edge ofthestabilizing plane can be changed. That is to say the plane can beflexed so that its edge will extend upward, or downward, or, if desired,the entire plane can be made flat.

I am aware that considerable variation is possible in the details ofconstruction herein shown and described, Without departing from thespirit of my invention, and I do not'intend to limit myself thereto,except as pointed out in the following claims, in which it is-myintention to claim all the novelty inherent in the structure shown anddescribed as broadly as the state of the art will permit.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is: I

1. The combination with a supporting plane of an aeroplane, of astabilizing plane,

means for supporting the stabilizing plane above the supporting plane,said stabilizing plane having a central fixed plane portion surroundedby a flexing portion, and means for flexing the outer portion.

2. The combination with a supporting plane of an aeroplane, of astabilizing plane,

means for supporting the stabilizing plane above the supporting plane,said stabilizing plane having a central fixed plane portion surroundedby a flexing portion, an operating mechanism, and Wires connecting the 1periphery of the stabilizing plane to the operating mechanism wherebythe angle be tween the peripheral portion of the stabilizing plane andthe central fixed plane portion thereof may be varied.

3. The combination with the supporting plane of an aeroplane, of astabilizing plane, means for supporting the stabilizing plane above thesupporting plane, said stabilizing plane being of circular form andcomprising a central fixed plane portion surrounded by a flexibleportion, and means whereby the angle between the flexible portion andthe central portion can be adjusted.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY C. FISK.

Witnesses:

LILLIAN M. EDDY,

ELIZABETH T. ARGENTA.

